Apparatus for bleaching grain.



H. vJ. GALDWELL 6; J. R. BARR.

APPABATUS FOR BLEAGHING GBAIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1907.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

8. W v W.

H.'J. CALDWELL & J. R. BARR.

APPABATUS FOR BLBAGHING GBAIN. APPLIOATION Hmm HAY 7, 1907.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

l No. 908,891.

HARRY J. CALDWELL'AND JAMEs R. BARR, o'F EALPARK, INDIAN.

APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING GRAI Specification of Lttersatent.

Patented Dee. 29, 1908.

Application filed May '7, 1907. Serial N o. 372,296.

the fo lowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to the art of purifying, conditioning or7 as it is sometimes called 'bleaching grain and to apparatus for prac--v ticing said art.

I ing to the particular sort of grain to The resent invention has for its obj ect in particu ar to provide a new and improvedz.

form of apparatus which shall be adapted to be used in different ways on grains re uiring diflerent kinds of treatment, where y an economy of time, of effort in,handling the grain, and of material usedfor cleaning the same is obtained. z

It is well known in this art that grain which has become musted, smutted, rusted, mildewed, stained or otherwise superficially affected may be cleansed or purified by subjecting it to the treatment of the 'fumes of sulfur, for example,l when in moist condition. This treatment has been herctofore effected by passin the grain through a single Stack of considerale height into which is admitted sulfur fumes and moisture eitherin the form of steam or water, or both.

It is well known that grains of various sorts may be advantageously treated in the -manner above indicated, but the duration and other incidents of treatment may and should be varied very considerabl accordge treated and according to the extent to which it may be afected by the rust, smut or other superficial impurity.

Our present invention contemplates a form i I of apparatus which shall consist of a plurality of stacks suitably connected together, so that the grain may be passed through several or all of the stacks in succession where heavyv treatment is required; or several lots of grain may be passed through single stacks or groups of stacks in multiple streams as it were; the stacks communicating with each other so that the fumes may be passed through the entire system of stacks, thus utilizing the fumes to their fullest extent and keepir'i the plant -infull operation'in the most vantageous manner according to the lnature of the grain being handled.v A very `rial may be obtained there y.

Our invention has for a further object to control and vary the temperature in a stack or stacks by injecting into the same a Cooling stream or streams of air. i

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-4 i Figure 1 is a Vertical section through one form of apparatus -consisting of three stacks and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the apparatus with parts shown in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view of one of the valves C, C', C2. Fig. 4 is a Vertical, sectional view of one of the valves R3.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawin s.

A, A' A2 represent three stacls, these stacks being provided at the top with spouts B, B', B7z closed by the valves C, C', C2. There may be, of course, any number of these stacks. Within the stacks are preferably the cant-boards .D forming zig-zag or circuitous passage-ways for the grain. 'he interior arrangement of the stacks may be of any desired form, as that forms no part of the present invention. i

Stack A is connected with A' by a passa-geway E and A' and' A2 by a passage-way hi' At the bottom the stacks are rovided with the hopplers F, F', F2 from w 'ch lead the chutes or discharges G, G' G2 respectively,l

'nected a fan L, the eduction pipe L' of which communicates with a tank or other receptacle M in which the fumes may be cooled and, if desired, saturated with moisture. From this tankleads an inlet pipe N which extends into 'the stack A.

Water and steam may be injected into the Stack A from the Water pipe O 'and steam pipe P through the nozz-le Q. 'Ihe same provision may be made for the other stacks or they may receive their moisture by means of the circulation between the several stacks. In the drawings I have shown the stack A' provided with a water pipe O', the steam Q I 'I pipe P' .m maso/; Stack x' newsa .a provided with water pipe 0', steam pipe P* and nozzle Q'.

In order that thegrain may befmade to form of conveying machinery may be use We have shown, for pur oses of illustration, in connection with the discharge chute of the .stackA a bucket conveyer R running in a shaft R' the buckets being fed by a s out R2 which projects from the grain disc arge G, the opening into the branch chute being controlled by a valve R8 which serves to close either the branch pipe or the grain discharge. The conveyer discharges into a chute R4 which connects with the grain inlet B' of the stack A'. A 'similar conveying system may be utilized to convey the grain from the discharge chute G' to the inlet of,

stack A2. The last stack is provided with an exhaust T through which t e fumes escape. It Will be seen that by means of the valves R3 the conveying devices may be cut in or out of the system. When the grain requires treatment of considerable duration, by turning the valves R3 so as to o en the passageways Rz and then setting t e conveyers mA motion, the grain which is fed in through inlet B may be made to ass in succession through several or all o the stacks. The fumes, properly saturated with moisture, will pass up through stack A, into Stack A' by passage E, down through A' and into A2, through passage E' and thence through the exhaust.

- When the grain does not need such heavy treatment, it may be fed simultaneously into the several stacks, the fumes followingv the same pathasbeforeindicated. Apparatus thus constructed obviously has great flexibility. The fumes may be utilized to the utmost. The entire system or battery of stacks may be kept in operation all the time no matter what the articular treatment of the grain may be. his capacity for adjustment to meet varying conditions results in a very' practical advantage. o

We also provide means for regulating the temperature of the several stacks. To this end stack A is provided with a pipe S which is connected wlth a'suitable supply of cold air under ressure. The stacks A' and A2 may also ave similar air pipes S' 'and S2. It Will be seen, therefore, that by this means the temperature in the stacks, whether they are used singly or in series, may be varied at will. It will be understood that the fumes are,ordinarily more or less hot and it is desirable to keep the grain at certain temperatures according to the sort of treatment which it is receiving.- y

mam

' We wish it .to be understood that we do not desirex to limit ourselves to the particular devices and 'arrangements 'shown in the drawings and described in the specification, as obvious modficationswill occur to persons skilledin the art.

We have used the term inlet pipe in the claims to denote the ipe, hopper, or other device by means of w 'ch the grain is introduced into the stacks. It isnot intended to confine the claims to a narrow signification of the word.

We claim: g

1. In apparatus of the character` described, the combination with' a plurality of stacks having circuitous passa es therein through which the grain passes y g'ravity, each of said stacks having a grain mlet at the top and a discharge outlet at the bottom, means for introduoing into the stacks treating sub- 'stances in vaporous form, means for conveying the grain from the outlet of one stack to the inlet of the next stack, andmeans for cuttin said conveying means out of operation an opening, the discharge outlets of the stacks, whereby the stacks may be operated at will in series on a single lot of gram or in multiple on se arate lots of grain, substantially as descri ed.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a plurality of stacks having circuitous passa es therein through which the grain passes y gravity, each of said stacks having a grain inlet at the top and a discharge outlet at the bottom, means for introduoing into the first of said stacks treatin substances in vaporous form, said stacks eing connected by passage-ways, means for conveying the grain from the outlet of one stack to the inlet of the next stack, and means for cutting said conveying means out of operation and opening the discharge outlets of the stacks, substantially as described.

3. In a paratus of the character described, the combmation' with a plurality of stacks having circuitous passa es therein through which the grain passes y gravity, each of said stacks having a grain mlet at the top and a discharge outlet at the bottom, means for introduoing treating fumes into the first of said stacks, the stacks being connected' together by passage-ways, means for introduoing molsture into the subsequent stacks 'of the series, means for conveying the grain from the outlet of the first stack into the next Stack and so on throughout the series of stacks, and means for cutting said' conveying means out of operation and opening the (lischarge outlets of the stacks, substantially as said s'tacks' having an nlet at the top and a 'etacks,V and means for cuttng said convey'- 10 discharge Outlet at the bottom, means for in-v ing means out of operation and o ening troducing fumes into thefirst of said stacks, the discharge outlets of the stacks, sulhstanthe stacks being connected together by pastially as described. Sage-ways, means for introducing moisture HARRY J. CALDWELL. and cool air into the subseluent stacks of the a w JAMES R. BARR.

series, means for conveying the an from Witnesses: w a the Outlet of the first stack to the lnlet of the' WILL W. WILSON, next stack and so on throughout the seriesjof WJLLLAM BARR. 

